Sliding caster



May 31, 1932. c. A. SCHACHTV SLIDING CASTER Filed May 25 1951 m 6 m 4% W Patented May 31, 1932 I I UNITEDISTATES PATENT OFFICE CLIFFORD A. soHAoHr, OF- HUNTINGTON, INDIANA SLIDING CASTER Application filed May 25, 1931. Serial No. 539,936.

This invention relates to sliding casters for through a still further. modified form of use on beds, chairs and other articles of furcaster. a I v niture or the like, the present application be- As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, my novel sliding a continuation-in-part of my copending ing caster preferably consists of a substan- 8 application Serial No. 536,026, filed May 8, tially conical or semi-globular'body 1 of re- 1931, silient molded rubber or other suitable yield- The principal object of the invention is to able material, having an axially disposed reprovide resilient sliding casters adapted to cess 10; in its upper end of greater diameter be applied to the furniture by merely removthan the pintle 2, said recess 1a extending 10 ing the ordinary casters and replacing same downwardly about one-third the height of withmy casters in the same sockets, said the body. casters being economical to manufacture, Below recess 1a is a reduced axially dishaving a resilient, semi-resilient, or solid posed bore 1?) adapted to snugly receive the body, with caster. pintles mounted therein lower end of the pintle 2 adjacent its ball- 1 having a yielding universal rocking -Inove-' shaped head 2a in order to maintain the pinment with respect to the caster body, wherejtle 2 normally in vertical position while by, when the casters are applied to a chair, the yieldably permitting universal rocking movechair' can be tilted but the universal movement thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 3. v i ment of the pintles will allow the bases of Below the reduced bore 1b is an enlarged 20 the casters to remain flat on the surface of cylindrical bore 10 adapted to receive the ballthe floor at all times, thereby preventing the shaped head 2a of pintle 2, which head 2a casters from scarring or injuring the floor or has a flattened upper portion 2?) adapted to floor coverings. c engage the underside of a circular washer 3 I will explain the invention with reference snugly fitting the enlarged bore 10 and abut- 25 to the accompanying drawings which illusting against the shoulder separating the trate several practical embodiments. thereof bores 16 and 10, said washer preventing the to enable others to adopt and use the same; head 2a of the pintle from pulling upwardly a'ndwill summarizein the claims thenovel through bore 1?). If desired thehead 2a of features of construction, and novel combinathe pintle may have any otherdesired shape, #30 tions of parts, for which protection is deand the head is not necessarily limited to sired. i 1 being ballshaped. The lower end of bore 10 In said drawings: V is cut away as at 1d to accommodate the parti- Fig. l is a} perspective view of a chair spherical raised socket portion 4a of the cupequipped with my novel casters, showing the like shell lwhich embraces thelower portion chair tilted backwardly while the casters on 0;" ther s fl y e e esses and therear legs remain seated squarely on the bores 1b, 10 d 1d are an Preferably floor surface 7 moldgd 1n tJllcle rubbii bpildy 1Oalctlhougfh saniie may e out erein a er, e. o y 1s orme 2 15 an enlarged vertlcal sectlon and the washer 3 and pintle 2 are inserted c Fig 3 is a perspective View of the caster, therein from the underslde through recess 1d detached illustrating the universal g until the head2a seats agalnst the washer 3 i in recess 10.

i ggi'g Vertical, Around the lower portion of the rubber v bod 1 is a on -sha ed shell t of metal bake- 45 through a modlficatlon of h i 7 lite? glass, wo d, or any other material which 5 13 an enlarged Vertlcal 'sectlonwill slide upon without injuring the floor, ug a I' modlfied 5 1 0 casien said shell lbeing adapted to fit tightly around Fig. 6 1s an enlarg ver lca SeCtlOIl the lower end of body 1, and being provided through a further modified form of eastern t; it center ith a. rai ed ball-shaped socket Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section seat 4a extending upwardly into the recess 161 I 40 through'one form of caster and pintle.

and bore 10, so that the head 2a of the pintle will rest in the socket 4a, whereby the pintle may have a universal rocking movement with respect to the body 1.

The resilient body 1 is preferably larger than the inside of the sliding shell 4. While there are a number of ways of inserting the rubber in the shell, I preferably insert the molded body in a partially formed shell 4 (if the shell is made of metal) and then by means of a press contract the upper end of the shell around the body to lock the rubber securely therein.

The caster pintle is preferably made with an offset collar or shoulder 20 disposed within the recess portion 1a of the body 1, said collar or shoulder limiting the downward movement of the plug or plate P mounted on the pintle which carries the furniture leg L, said downward movement under weight of the furniture compressing the flexible upper rim of the resilient body 1 to form ayieldable cushion.

The collar or shoulder 20 however on the pintle may be omitted if desired, and the shank of the pintle may carry any type of plate or plug.

By the above construction the pintle 2 is permitted a universal rocking motion with respect to the body 1 and shell 4, whereby when the chair or other article of furniture is tilted the sliding caster will remain seated squarely on the surface of the floor while the pintle 2 may readily assume the angularity of the furniture leg, thereby preventing injury to the floor.

The caster shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 2, except that the washer 3 is molded in the rubber body instead of being inserted therein when assembling the pintle; also pintle 2 is somewhat modified the collar (20 of Fig. 2) being omitted and a shoulder 20? being formed by reducin the diameter of the upper end of the shan The body 1 however is otherwise the same as in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 5 a modification of the caster shown in Figs. 2 and 4 is illustrated in which the body 1 may be made of molded hard rubber, or may be made of material such as wood, glass, bakelite or the like, and is provided with the bores 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d therein as in Figs. 2 and 4. Around the pintle 2 is placed a tube of yieldable soft material 5, preferably soft rubber, adapted to snugly fit in the upper bore 1a to yieldably maintain the pintle 2 in upright position. In place of a tube 5 a soft rubber insert around the pintle 2 ma be used, which material is softer or more yie dable than the material of the outer casing or body 1. The soft rubber insert 5 will snugly fit the recess 1a and will permit the tilting or rocking motion of the pintle. The

harder body 1 can be molded and the soft rubber tube can be inserted therein after molding the body. I

In Fig. 6 a further modification is illus-' trated in which the body 10 is made of solid material such as wood, glass, bakelite, or the like, or possibly hard molded rubber, and the body is provided with an enlarged cylindrical recess 10a in its upper end, with a retaining flange 10b at its upperend extending into the bore for retaining the soft rubber or other yieldable insert 11 which is inset in the bore 10a around the pintle 12. Pintle 12 is provided with a spherical or other shaped head 12a adapted to engage a spherical recess 10?) in the body 10 below the recess 10a; and a bore 100 of greater diameter than the pintle 12 connects the recesses 10a and 10b whereby the pintle-may have a universal rocking movement.

The head 12a of the pintle seats in a raised ball-shaped seat 14a in the shell 14 which is in all respects similar to the shell 4 of F 10 and forms a resilient seat for the plate or 'plu (not shown) carried b the pintle.

In Fig. 7 a further modi cation of the casters shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, is illustrated in which the enlarged bore in the upper end of the resilient body 1 is omitted, and the rubber of the body fits closely against the shank of the pintle 2. The parts are otherwise the same as in Figs. 2, 4 or 5. The type of caster shown in Fig. 7 is adaptable for use on beds, dressers and other articles of furniture which do not require tilting and the rubber body is made to snugly fit the pintle. The washer 3 can be either molded in the recess 10 (as in Fig. 4) or placed therein (as in Fig. 2) when assembling the pintle.

I do not limit my invention to the exact forms shown in the drawings, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim I 1. A sliding caster comprising a body having a bore and a recess at the lower end of the bore; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposed within said recess, a washer interposed between the head of the pintle and the upper end of the recess; and a shell mounted around the body having a seat for the head of the pintle.

2. A sliding caster comprising a body of,

molded rubber having a bore with an enno larged recess at its lower end and having an mounted around the body having'a seat for enlarged recess at the upper end of the bore; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposed within said lower recess and adapt-, ed for universal rocking movement with respect to the body; a washer molded into the body at the upper end of the lower recess for engagement with the enlarged head; and a shell of slidable material mounted around 7 the body having a seat for the pintle entering the lower end of the lower recess.

4. A sliding caster comprising a body of molded rubber having a bore with an enlarged recess at its lower end and having an enlarged recess at the upper end of the bore; a pintle in said bore having an enlarged head disposed within said lower recess and adapt ed for universal rocking movement with re spect to the body; aninsert of soft resilient rubber around the pintle and filling the upper recess; and a shell of slidable material ing a seat for the pintle entering the lower end of the recess, said body being of nonresilient material and having an enlarged recess at the upper end of the bore; and an insert of resilient material around the pintle filling the upper recess.

CLIFFORD A. SGHACHT. r 

